What Lies Beneath
by Beyond Doubt
Summary: Kenshin begins his first gradual steps as a wanderer, but not all is as easy as it seems. Unsure of the capabilities of the sakabatou, how will he manage?
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** Rurouni Kenshin is owned by Nobuhiro Watsuki. I claim no ownership over this wonderful series.

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**What Lies Beneath**

By: Beyond Doubt

August 6th, 2012

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Chapter 1

Kenshin chewed thoughtfully on the chunk of rice left in his mouth as he sat gazing into the clear blue sky. The sakabatou leaned against the trunk of the towering maple, unused by the swordsman who had yet to draw the blade from its' inky black sheath. Many thoughts currently preoccupied the inexperienced wanderer's mind, thoughts that were leaving him with more questions than answers.

_Shakku-dono says that the sakabatou is a failure. If it is as he claims, could it be possible to use at all?_

He eyed the weapon dubiously, bearing in mind the blacksmith's words as he observed the sleek scabbard inquiringly.

_"It's a gift. It's a failure, but for you, right now, it's enough. Try being a swordsman with _that _at your waist! Soon, you'll see how naïve you're being!"_

Naive.

Practically anyone would think Kenshin immature these days, though, Shakku's words rang bitterly true. He was nothing more than the shell of a man he had once been. Hitokiri Battousai was a figure of the past, a remnant of Kyoto's darkest days left in the carnage of the Bakumatsu. He no longer desired to hold ties with his former reputation; it was best for himself, and for the sake of Japan, that no one know the name of Battousai.

Kenshin rose to his feet and picked up the sakabatou with ease. He carefully slipped it back into its' rightful place in his hakama sash, keeping his amber eyes locked on it a while longer before casting them away to the road that lay ahead.

"I best be on my way," he murmured. "A long journey rests ahead of me."

Tsuzuku...

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**Authoress Notes: **Yes... I know. I'm starting yet another story when I'm not even finished with 'The Taste of Good Sake'. The writer's block for the upcoming chapter is horrible on my brain, so to diminish the pain, a new fresh idea hit me and I couldn't help myself but to write it down. For the time being, 'The Taste of Good Sake' will be put on hold until further notice. Now, back to this story. I have an idea of how many chapters it will span for but I'll have to see where Kenshin takes me on this one. One of my favorite things to write as a fellow fanfiction author are the times set during Kenshin's Battousai years to Rurouni years. I think it's fun to see what people can come up with to fill in the holes left in the manga by Watsuki-sensei. It gives us a chance to experiment, and I happen to enjoy imagining the possible scenario's that Kenshin could have gone through as a wanderer. Before I give my farewells, I'd like to say to please review with your thoughts on how it is so far. I'd love to hear from you! Thank you.

-Beyond Doubt


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:** Rurouni Kenshin is owned by Nobuhiro Watsuki. I claim no ownership over this wonderful series.

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**What Lies Beneath**

By: Beyond Doubt

August 7th, 2012

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Chapter 2

Rain poured tremendously down from the heavens. The young rurouni cursed to himself in a useless attempt to shield the top of his head with a hand as he sped down the muddy path.

_Damned weather, _he thought. _I knew I should have stayed at that inn at the last village._

The villagers from the previous village were a friendly mass of people who had shown him nothing but kindness when he first arrived. There had been an inn -quite serene and lovely for such a poor area- that offered Kenshin hospitality from the moment they saw him pass. Despite having the right amount of money to stay for a night, he declined their invitation and proceeded on without a second thought.

Kenshin was beginning to sorely regret the decision he made as the day wore on.

Not too long after departing from the little village, the toe-strap of his sandal broke off. He tripped, landing face first in the dirt. "What the hell. . .?" As a former assassin, it came to the redhead as a shock that something had been the cause of his fall without him knowing what it was. Bringing himself into a sitting position, Kenshin examined the ground with annoyance, finding no source for the painful stumble.

A sudden sting befell his left foot. He lifted the aching limb from beneath his rear, looking carefully for any signs of an injury. And there, he discovered the perpetrator was a loose toe-strap, yanked completely free of its place in the sole of his sandal. A vein popped out from Kenshin's forehead. "I guess this serves as payback for not taking better care of them," he muttered lowly.

He reluctantly slipped the broken sandal back on, fuming with frustration as he stood back up to continue walking. However, once he began moving again, the incident repeated itself, and he landed back down with a startled yelp.

Unwilling to give in to such a minor setback, he took the damaged sandal off and kept it in his hand for the rest of the trip. Thinking that nothing else could go wrong proved to be Kenshin's downfall as the cloudless sea of blue above rolled with a horde of deep gray clouds. _It's too late to go back to that village now. I'll have to keep going until I come across another town._

Kenshin was drenched and trembling from head to toe, all hopes of spotting a single house dissolved as the road stretched on. And what was worse was the accumulating water and mud seeping into his sandal-less sock. "Of all the times it chose to break, it picked today to be the lucky day." Though, the unfortunate breaking of his sandal was all _but _a blessing to him.

Kenshin grew tired of holding his hand over his head. His efforts at trying to keep at least some part of himself dry seemed pointless now. Dropping the sore arm to his side, his amber eyes scanned the spotless landscape again to catch anything that could be used for shelter until the storm blew over.

Suddenly, he saw a small wooden hut far in the distance and wasted no time heading straight for it. The little shack appeared abandoned, the plot of land once used for farming sprouting with dying plants. He only stared for a moment before turning his attention to a window. He strode over to it, peering inside.

A young girl lay sprawled out across a futon, dozing in the quiet of the home. Something was burning, but Kenshin could not quite put his finger on the fragrance. Whether it was food burning or a fire blazing, he couldn't make the scent out. He was baffled that the little girl appeared to be no more than six years old. Left alone in the middle of nowhere, he couldn't help but think of a reason why she stayed. Perhaps there was a gentle soul that stayed to care for the child. Nevertheless, he knew there was no chance of him staying, even if it was until the weather cleared.

He was about to take his leave when he felt a flaring ki followed by a low booming voice from behind.

"What do you think you're doing here?!"

Tsuzuku...

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**Authoress Notes**: A cliff-hanger! I'm turning out to be quite a nice writer, what with leaving you hanging and all... For those who reviewed the last chapter, my thanks and gratitude go out to you! For those who are my invisible group of readers, I thank you as well. The part about the sandal breaking? It wasn't planned to be in there originally, but I figured that it would serve as a sort of humorous add-on to the situation. Why he didn't just take off both sandals and walk barefoot...? Well, that part is beyond me. Please don't be afraid to review. It is only a click away :) Thank you.

-Beyond Doubt


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